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Out With the Old, In With the New

by Mary Stella on December 31, 2012

I guess yesterday’s clothing purge began the “Out with the Old” portion of my end-of-year activities. Tonight, I tried something new — a mamey sapote. It’s a native Mexican fruit that I’d never heard of until last month. I heard of it for the first time last month and I’m glad I heard someone say that its delicious because I’d have passed right over it in a produce section. The fruit is shaped like a small football with a bark-like outer skin. Definitely not the most visually appealing food until you cut it open and see the dark salmon-colored flesh. The texture is sort of like a very ripe avocado. It tastes sweet and unlike any other fruit I can think of.

Not to go all Food Network chef on you, but the mouth feel of the mamey is luxurious and pairs well with the yummy taste. I ate a few spoonfuls and then put the rest in a bowl for future enjoyment. I then went on line to read about it, of course. Turns out the mamey is high in Vitamins A and C, potassium and dietary fiber. There are 20 mg of sugar in a cup. Considering that I ate about 1/4 of a cup, that’s not bad at all! I liked it so much, I think I’m going to try it in a smoothie tomorrow, too.

So, it’s New Year’s Eve, counting down the end of 2012, unless you live on the other side of the International Dateline, in which case you’re already in 2013. I had a couple of invitations to go out to open houses and parties but I opted for a quiet night at home with the dogs. I might still be awake at midnight for the big ball drop. (A good friend works for Waterford Crystal. They make the ball for Times Square every year. I found out tonight that most of the crystals used each year are salvaged and reused, but new ones are always added.)

I stopped making resolutions several years ago, mostly because I always seemed to set myself up for failure. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, I’d flunk out on the resolutions I’d made and end up feeling lousy. That’s no way to live a happy, productive life. This year, I’m trying something new. I’ve written down some suggestions and things that I’d like to work on in the days ahead. Instead of sharply defining these things, I’ve made them more broad-based. So, you won’t see me say that I’m going to walk two miles every day or that I’m going to drink 80 ounces of fluids each day. I’m not pledging to lose 20 pounds before I go to Hawaii.

I don’t have an extensive list to begin 2013. Like my Promise List, I prefer to check-in with myself on a regular basis and adjust as needed. Here’s what I did come up with for starters.

I intend to practice my Tai Chi, including the foundation moves, at home more often than I’ve been doing.

I’m going to drink more fluids each day than I have been.

I’m going to continue exercising the way that I have been, stepping up as I get more fit. I need to get in more work on my arms and butt, too.

As much as I hate keeping a food log, I’m going to write down my food at some point every day. (This is one of the rare, specific “every day” plans.) Ideally, I’ll write my food plan first thing in the morning. If the day’s circumstances mean I can’t do that, or if I deviate, I will faithfully enter the details in My Fitness Plan.

I’m going to tackle The Room of Hopeless Clutter, step by step, and finally clear it. The rest of my house is nice and tidy. This room is in horrible shape. Here. Look for yourself.

Seriously horrible, isn’t it? I wasn’t kidding. Those boxes against the window hold new copies of my two books. When my publisher put them out of print, they offered me as many copies as I wanted for a very low price, plus shipping. I bought many, thinking I’d eventually sell them at conferences and conventions. This was before the e-pub explosion. Now I figure these will never sell. I should probably recycle most of the boxes. That will probably happen this year.

I wish I could figure out how to get all of the text below the photos but WordPress isn’t cooperating at the moment.

On to more suggestions on what I’d like to aim for in 2013.

I want to work with my dogs more than I did this last year. In improving myself, I didn’t focus on them as much as I should. Thankfully, they’re reaping some benefit from my increased walking. That’s something that will definitely continue. I’m not saying it’s their favorite activity, but it’s good for all of us. I get bored walking by myself, even with music.

Other suggestions include experiencing more of the things that are on my Promise List, continuing to practice good self-care with medical appointments, skin care, wearing sun block, and treating myself to things I enjoy like facials and therapeutic massages.

Then there’s a category for “Things I Might Like to Try But Am Not Definitely Committing to at This Time”. Let’s put Pilates and Spinning Class in that category.

The list suddenly seems long, but it really isn’t when I look at the big picture. Basically, in 2013 I’m going to do the same thing that I did in 2012. Every day I’m going to live my life like it matters, like I matter, because I do. Life is good and, no matter what, I’m going to keep it that way.